Chaplaincy information for parents and guardians

The hospital chaplains

The chaplains work for the hospital, and are a part of the care which is provided while your child is in hospital.

Chaplains are here for everyone — patients, parents, carers, guardians, other relatives, and staff.

The NHS Patient Charter promises to respect “your privacy, dignity, religious and cultural beliefs” and to look after people “physically, mentally, and spiritually”.

Our main purpose

Chaplains offer spiritual support.

Inner, spiritual pain can be felt in many ways. For example, you might feel deep upset or fear, a sense of isolation, that your life is turned upside-down, a deep numbness, or deep questioning such as “why my child?”

Chaplains are here to meet with people where they are, to listen with compassion, and to ‘walk with’ that person, supporting them any way they can. This is the key role of chaplains. All conversations are private and confidential, meaning that they are not shared with anyone without asking you if it is okay.

Sometimes, spiritual care also means helping patients, parents, or carers with their religious beliefs. If these needs are specific, then the chaplains will either give you this support themselves, or help you to get in touch with someone of your own faith. Often, chaplains are asked just to go and talk, or to say a prayer for your child. You can either pray together with the chaplain, or they can say this prayer in private later.

Getting in touch with a chaplain

The easiest way to get in touch is to ask your child’s nurse to contact us. If you need a chaplain urgently, they can contact us via the switchboard. You can also get in touch by calling the chaplaincy telephone number, 0114 271 7338. Please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Chaplains make regular visits to all of the wards, but they can be reached at any time, by asking switchboard to call the chaplaincy long-distance pager.

Patients, parents or guardians may want to share a time of prayer, or to talk privately. The chaplains are here for everyone, whatever your beliefs.

The chaplaincy is made up of a small group of part-time chaplains. Our chaplains are mainly of a Christian tradition, but they are used to visiting those of all faiths, and those with no formal religious beliefs. There is normally a chaplain on the main hospital site for part of the day Monday to Friday, and they are also available to other Trust sites.

Chaplains from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals or locum chaplains share the emergency on-call rota during the night and at weekends.

The chaplains will try to match your care with someone of your religion, and we have volunteer faith representatives from the main world faiths, who may be able to help you. If this can’t be arranged, then other chaplaincy support will be offered.

The chaplaincy centre

This is on the top floor of the blue wing. It is two floors above the restaurant, and located next to the Cystic Fibrosis Unit. Here you will find:

• the chaplains’ office – a place for a private conversation, if you would like this
• the chapel – a quiet place where you can be alone to think or pray
• the Muslim prayer room – with ablution facilities

The chapel and prayer room are open 24 hours a day. Please feel free to go whenever you wish.

There is also a chapel at Becton. Please ask a member of staff if you would like to use it.